Backwards Hampshire
by Phantom-Cosplayer
Summary: Before the Space Pirates, before joining Project Freelancer and before meeting the Reds and Blues, Diana Andrea Martinez was trouble with a capital T. Read all about her childhood, teen years, the meeting of mysterious strangers Isaac, Sam and Mason and joining the UNSC. See New Hampshire before she ever became known as the American state. Ever wondered how she met North Dakota?
1. Fresh Starts

"But Daddy, why do we have to move? I really like California." The little blonde girl asked her father, looking up at him with bright blue doe eyes.

"I know sweetheart but Daddy's got a job on New Alexandria now. I'm sure you're going to like it there, there's much more space for you to run around. You'll even make some new friends, no doubt." Javier told his little girl as she stopped colouring in to give him a disapproving look. She held a green crayon in her hand as she crossed her arms and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"I like my old friends." She replied. She reminded him so much of her late mother. She had her big eyes, although hers were slightly more teal than her mother's. She had her sunny hair and every time she gave him that look, he knew he was in for a fight. She was so much like her, in a way it made him miss her less. Allison may have gone but she'd left a piece of herself behind and he would treasure her till his last days.

"Oh come on Diana, this'll be good for us, a fresh start." He sat down beside his daughter and slung an arm around the back of her chair. They had been sat in their cramped kitchen while he went over some files from work while she coloured under his watchful eye.

Even though he didn't want to leave his home planet, this could be good for them. He knew Diana wouldn't want to move again, she'd really liked Texas too but with Leonard there he knew they couldn't stay. Even if he'd wanted to, Church wouldn't have let them. He supposed he was glad in a way that Diana couldn't remember her half sister Carolina it only would have made this harder.

The move would be good for them, Earth was far too overpopulated now anyway. Javier and his little girl had been crammed in some shitty studio apartment right by the highway and miles away from the closest park. There was no space for Diana to run around outside and even if there was the neighbourhood was so dangerous that he'd be a fool to let her play outside.

No, New Alexandria would we good for them and he wasn't going to change his mind on this. It may be a little hard for her to adjust but she would grow to like her new home, on a new planet with a fresh start. Plus the pay was much better so he could afford to get her all the toys she wanted and then some.

"Why do I need a fresh start? I'm 6." She responded and he couldn't help but laugh. She was definitely smart for her age, witty too.

* * *

 _"Will you tell me a story?" Diana yawned, sleep still calling at her tired body._

 _"What do you wanna here?" North asked her as she rubbed her eyes softly._

 _"Something about you. What were you like when you were a kid?" She asked, rolling onto her side to look at him as he sat in her bedside chair._

 _"A little shit sometimes. I was only good half the time when I was little. Other half I was spoiled. Not as much as South though." He replied honestly. It was hard for her to imagine him as anything but the team dad._

 _"That's funny. You've never really struck me as the spoilt type." She responded, smiling softly at his equally tired face._

 _"I guess you think I've always been nice, mature and devilishly charming." He flirted with her, growing comfortable with her being more than just his fellow soldier._

 _"Oh yes, I had also assumed you're naturally a brunette." She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at his attempt at flirting. Just because they were getting together now didn't mean she'd be swooning all over him, well maybe it did, she loved him. Shut up._

 _"Come on, tell me, what were you like as a kid?"_

 _"Me? Well.."_

* * *

"Hey." She poked the little boy sitting on the ground in front of her. He had his head on his knees and was sobbing quietly. "Hey!" She poked him harder to get his attention. He turned to look at her, tears sliding down his bright red face, eyes puffy and swollen.

"What?" He cried.

"Why are you crying?" Diana asked, sitting beside him on the step. She leaned over her knees to pick up a stick that was on the ground and started drawing in the dirt.

"Why do you care?" He wailed, covering his face with his hands.

"Why shouldn't I?" She replied stopping drawing to look at him for a moment. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." She tried using one of her dad's lines, as it always seemed to work on her.

"I-I-I I hurt myself." He started, a perfectly reasonable reason to be crying actually, she couldn't fault him there. "The, the other boys Thomas and Michael were being mean to me and when I asked them to stop they said if I could beat them in a race around the basketball court. I-I was winning but then Thomas tripped me and I lost. I really hurt my shin and they won't stop picking on me now because I didn't win the race."

"What's your name?" She asked, nodding along to everything he said, listening intently.

"D-david." He told her, wiping away some of his tears.

"I'm Diana." She shook his hand. "Let me see your leg." She ordered and he put his foot in her lap, extending his leg. She examined it, seeing a big red mark that was sure to bruise. "You should go to the nurse about this. Don't worry David, I'll take care of Thomas and Michael."

"B-but how? They'll hurt you too." He worriedly asked, his new friend mightn't be his new friend for long if she got pummelled by his bullies.

"No they won't." She stood up, dusting herself off. "I'm a girl and boys can't hit girls."

* * *

 _"Naive. I was really naive. And for a while kind of shallow." She replied eventually. Thinking of her childhood and teenage years._

* * *

"I was wrong." She plopped down beside him on one of the chairs in the office, right near the sick bay. "Turns out boys can hit girls."

"They shouldn't" David replied, looking at his slightly bruised new friend. She had a big red mark on her left arm and a cut on her cheek.

"It's okay though, I got them." She pointed over to the two boys sitting across from them the she'd busted up, they were bleeding and bruised in many places and glaring at her. She poked her tongue out at them and waved.

"How?"

* * *

 _"Hey! You!" She marched up to the two terrors in question and pointed at them, standing firm and putting her hands on her hips. "Why are you picking on David?"_

 _The two turned from whatever they were doing in the dirt to look at her. She raised a cocky brow at them and waited for them to answer._

 _"None of your business." Thomas replied turning away from her._

 _"Yes it is." She told him grabbing his shoulder. He towered over her, being one of the taller 8 year olds of the school._

 _"Why? You're just some girl." Michael asked, confused as to why anyone cared about David the weird kid._

 _"I'm his friend you meanie." She replied pointing accusingly at him. "And you're going to stop being mean to him."_

 _"Or what?" Thomas scoffed. She didn't reply in words, instead she punched him square in the face. She gripped Michael's shirt and used it to pull him towards her as she slammed her knee into his stomach. She then grabbed their heads and slammed them together. Of course them being boys were stronger than her and got in a couple of punches but she had skill, her daddy taught her well._

 _"Or I'm going to keep shoving your face in the dirt," she replied kicking his legs out from under him and rubbing his freckled face into the ground. "Until you stop."_

 _"What is going on here?!" Diana looked up to see a very cross looking Mrs. J. staring down at them as she was making Thomas eat the dirt._

 _"Nothing." She replied innocently._

 _"Nothing?' Mrs. J. replied in disbelief._

 _"Yep." She answered with a nod,_

 _"Principal's office, now." She ordered, grabbing Diana by the scruff of her neck and dragging her off of the two boys._

* * *

"Oh you know, I just asked them nicely."

* * *

"I don't know what the god damn problem is!" She screamed. "I just want to have a sleepover at my friend's house!"

"What did you just say?! Don't you dare use language like that Diana! I didn't raise you like that!" Her father yelled back at her. "And the problem, he's 2 years older than you. I just think you're getting too old to be having sleepovers at boy's houses. Why can't you just hang out with him tonight, I'll pick you up and then you can play with him again tomorrow?"

"It's not the same dad. We were gonna stay up late and look through his telescope." She sighed, leaning on her hand and she slumped her shoulders at the dinner table. "He's been showing me all the constellations of this planet and tonight there was gonna be a meteor shower."

It was Javier's time to sigh this time. His daughter was nearing the age of 10 and she's been friends with David for about 2 years now. Each year filled with the two of them getting in nonstop trouble. He really didn't want to get in the way of her happiness, and she had been talking a lot about the stars recently, it could be good for her. The problem was she was getting a little old to be having sleepovers with boys. Why couldn't she have a girl friend?

"Okay alright. You can go. But just this once. And only because of the meteor shower." He replied eventually, mulling it over. "But I'm picking you up at 2 tomorrow and you're going to be ready straight away and no arguments. You're coming straight home and no 'please daddy's or 'just five more minutes'."

"Deal." She grinned, rushing off out of the room to go and pack.

* * *

"Behave yourself, okay?" He leaned down to ruffle his daughter's hair one more time and kiss her on the forehead, saying goodbye as he dropped her off at her friend's house.

"I will." She tried to shove him off of her, embarrassed at his fussing.

"See you tomorrow at 2." He stood up straight and saluted David's mother, Karen, before marching of back to his motorbike. "I love you." He called to her.

"Love you too Daddy." She replied, heading inside, holding the straps of her backpack. She trotted inside and up the stairs to meet her friend, who was sitting at his desk, going over books on constellations.

"Nerd." She chuckled, plopping down on his bed, dropping her bag on the floor.

"You came over here specifically to watch a meteor shower, who's the nerd now?" He responded, noticing her presence.

"Still you." She replied with a wry smile. "You're the one who invited me."

"About that." He turned his desk chair around to look at her with a guilty expression. "There's something I've got to tell you."

"Did you get the wrong date?" She asked preemptively.

"No. This isn't about the meteor shower." He shook his head. "Look I invited you over so we could have one last sleepover before I move."

"You're moving house?" She asked, lifting her foot up to her chest and tugging off her shoe.

"More like planet." He responded.

"You're moving planet? Seriously?" She looked at him heartbroken. He was her only friend and she his. "What am I going to do without you?"

"I'm sorry."


	2. Lessons Learned

_Felix leaned towards her, resting his hands on the bench in front of them, weight resting on his outstretched arms. She looked up at him, scanning his fetchers and something twigged._

 _"Hey.." She squinted at him. "You look familiar, like really fucking familiar."_

 _"Are you hitting on me?" He quirked a brow at her, crooked smile on his face._

 _"Shut up." She shook her head. "I swear I've seen you somewhere before, years ago."_

 _"I think I'd remember if I'd seen a face as pretty as that before." He replied, flirtatious smirk calming his features._

 _"Now who's hitting on who?" She grinned back at him._

* * *

"You're late." her dad called as she stepped through the door to their apartment, evening light just setting in.

"Fuck off." Diana growled, slamming her book bag into the ground at the door and stomping to her bedroom, slamming the door.

"Diana Andrea Martinez." Her father called as he stepped out of the open plan kitchen and marched over to her door. He knocked on the door and she started blaring her music loudly, not in the mood to talk to him after a rubbish day at school. He banged louder on the door and she continues to ignore him, figuring he'd eventually go away. She lay on her stomach across her bed, legs up behind her as she wrote in her diary, getting out her frustrations as much as she could. After a couple of hours moping in her room she'd turned down her music and just lain on her bed.

Her stomach growled and eventually she decided to climb out of bed and head to the door, she should probably apologise for the way she talked to her dad earlier too. Diana turned the knob in her hand and walked across the cream coloured carpet on her converse clad feet. She reached the refrigerator and pulled the door open to grab some food.

"Ahh, we have life." She heard her father say from the other side of the door.

"Look, I'm sorry about before, okay?" She sighed, slamming the door shut with a Tupperware container full of potato salad in hand. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and went to turn back towards her room.

"Oh no you don't." She spun back on her heels, looking over to see three other men at the table. Two young and one she recognised as Mason Wu, her father's old buddy.

"What now?" She scowled, crossing her arms.

"Are you seriously going to just eat that container of potato salad?" He quirked a brow at her and she sighed.

"Not now I'm not." She muttered putting the potato salad back in the fridge and raking around for something else to eat.

"There's left overs in the oven." He commented after a while of her searching.

"You couldn't have mentioned that earlier?" She growled in frustration and slammed the fridge door again, going to the oven to take the now hot plate covered in food out. Her father had given up on coaxing her out of her bedroom when she was sulking and instead opted to eat dinner alone. Sometimes she felt guilty, leaving him by himself but other times she just had to be left alone herself. She moved to take her food back to her room but was stopped by her father and the rule of no food in the bedroom. She sighed again and climbed up on the kitchen counter, sitting cross legged meditation style and hunching over to eat her food.

She couldn't help but noticed the occasional glance in her direction from one of the younger males at the table. Mason and her father paid her no mind as they always did, knowing she didn't care about what their work was and even fi she did knowing she wouldn't interfere. The younger two seemed more on edge since she entered the room. She noticed that the one who kept glancing at her couldn't be that far into his 20s, had brown eyes and brown hair in an undercut.

She finished eating and leapt off the opposite side of the bench than the one she had climbed up on. Taking a dive and landing in a roll, she got up off the floor walking over to the spot where she'd dumped her school bag. She was followed by the gazes of the two younger males, Mason and her father again, used to her antics. She dug around in the main pocket of her bag then pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper. Stalking over to the dining table with the four men she held out the paper to her father. He stopped what he was doing to take the notice and then let out his own growl of frustration.

"Suspension?" His gaze shot up towards her.

"Long story." She responded backing away a little bit and leaning up against the half wall surrounding the kitchen island.

"I suddenly have a clear schedule." He responded, pushing his chair back from the table and crossing his arms over his chest.

"I broke Marcus Thompson's nose again.." She sighed, running her hand through her hair.

"What happened?" He sighed himself while she was under the amused glance of both Mason and the brown eyed stalker.

"Well he made this comment, ugh, a bunch of people were taking about how I'd also been at this stupid party he'd been at and he said he didn't remember me, which was fair enough, I don't care and I wasn't even a part of the conversation anyway. Then he said perhaps people would remember me better if I put out more and I punched him in the face."

"Last time you broke his nose you just got a detention, why is this any different?" Her father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I hit him so hard he fell down the stairs and broke his coccyx. He's riding the bench for the rest of the football season." She explained looking a little guilty. Her father sighed again and went to the fridge, pulling out a six pack.

"What am I going to do with you?" He handed her a beer and sat down at the table, offering the rest of the guys one. "I'm not grounding you, if you're going to knock out anymore footballers, don't get caught." She quirked a brow at him and then decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and wandered off to her bedroom, chugging some of her beer. Not often she got rewarded for getting suspended.

* * *

Diana walked along the dark street, skirt of her party dress swishing around her legs and heels clacking behind her. She had makeup smudged across her face and her once stick straight hair had a back combed and teased affect on one side. She was a walking hot mess as she headed home from the party she wasn't supposed to go to while her father was away on business.

She was stupid to go along anyway, it had been a waist of time and she'd only gotten hurt anyway. She wandered down the street slowly, feeling pathetic and in no rush to get home. She weaved her way through drunken, Friday night party goers along the familiar walk home.

"Hey!" Some guy called and shoved her into the upcoming ally.

"Fuck off." She spat, moving past him and heading out the alley. He grabbed her and dragged her back to him earning a smack to the face.

"Quit it." He growled, thumbing her shoulders, rubbing the soft flesh. "You're so hot," He breathed heavily, making her nose crinkle in disgust.

"Get off me," She snarled, punching him in the jaw and grabbing his shoulder, slamming her knee into his torso. She shoved him back away from her only to see a splatter of blood and him slump to the ground. She looked down at him in horror as blood pooled around him on the dank alley's floor. She turned slack jawed to the side and spotted the barrel of a smoking gun and a slightly familiar face, though she couldn't place where she'd seen it.

"Diana?" He asked, learning knowing her.

"Uhhh..." She stared at him with her mouth hanging open as he took a step towards her. "Nope." She replied suddenly, turning the corner out of the alley and running for her life.

"Damn it!" She heard him yell as her heels clacked along the footpath, running with all her might. She skidded to a halt as a figure dressed in black and purple flipped off a roof beside her. She would have fallen to the ground had an arm not shot out to grab her around the upper arm. She looked up and spotted Mason Wu staring her in the face, looking her over the way her father often would anytime she'd come home injured.

"Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"You know I'd really love to stick around and chat but there's a mad man with a guy in that alley just back there. I'd run if I were you." She moved to start running again but he held her arm with a firm grip but chuckled.

"I'm not sure Felix would approve of the description." He smiled. "Don't worry, he won't hurt you."

"He just shot a man." She whispered in frustration, trying not to draw attention to them.

"Yeah, to save you." Felix replied, coming up behind her. She suddenly remembered where she recognised him and he could see all the pieces coming together in her head.

"Come on," Mason said to her. "We've got to get out of here, I'll take you home."

He lead her back down the alley with the surely dead guy and out the other side. They walked up to a sleek, black car and Mason opened the back door for her, she slid in and he closed it again, going to the driver's seat. Felix was in the front seat and the other guy she'd seen at her father's dining table was sitting next to her, and hd been in the car probably the whole time.

"You like like you've been through hell." Mason commented as he climbed into his seat, doing his seatbelt and starting up the car. "What happened?"

"Don't tell my dad you saw me out tonight." She ignored his question, starting out the window.

"Don't tell anyone you saw me shoot a man." Felix responded earning a glare from Mason.

"What man? I didn't see anyone." She replied leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes, arms wrapping around herself.

"I won't tell your dad if you tell me what happened." Mason glanced back at her through his mirror, then returned his eyes to the road. She let out a deep sigh and leaned her head on the cold, glass of the window.

"I was at a party he specifically told me not to go to and I got cornered by some guys. I fought them off but after that I didn't feel much like partying." She explained, holding herself a little tighter, eyes down at her lap. She felt stupid.

"Not exactly surprising, you do look like a model." Felix remarked, earning another sharp glare from his partner. She pressed her foot down on the bottom of his seatbelt, tightening it and choking him. He let out some garbled words and wheezed before she lifted her toes off again.

"What was that?" She asked, glaring into the back of his headrest.

"Nothing." He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You learn your lesson?" Mason asked as they pulled up to the parking lot of her apartment building.

"Yes." She sighed.

"Then I won't tell your dad. You really need to be careful though Diana, you might not be so lucky next time." Mason scolded.

"There's not going to be a next time." She responded sinisterly and unbuckled her seatbelt, climbing out of the car and moving into the apartment building.


	3. New Friend

Diana looked up from her spot on the floor to see two purple, armour clad feet standing in front of her, momentarily distracting her from her personal pity party. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as she hugged her knees but for a moment at least, her sobs had silenced.

"Hey there," The soldier said softly.

She scooted further back towards the wall so she was out of his way, assuming he just wanted past and she was blocking his path. She dropped her head back into her lap, expecting him to start up walking again and leave her be. Instead she head the slight clonking of armour, the sound of someone sliding down the wall and a thump as they sat beside her.

"What's the matter, kiddo?" He asked again, putting a gentle, armoured hand on her shoulder. She looked up and to the side, meeting his gaze, which was obscured by his helmet. She pulled away from him slightly and went back to her lap, ignoring him and hoping he'd leave her alone.

"You know, I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong." He stated, taking off his helmet and looking at her concernedly.

"Why would you help me?" She responded, choked up and suspicious.

"Well that's what we do here. We fight to make the world a better place, help people. You look like you could use a hand." He responded, she looked over his face. He had blond hair a little darker and more yellow than hers and blue grey eyes which shone brightly, even when they were filled with concern. He certainly looked like he meant no harm, but looks could be deceiving.

"I fucked up." She responded finally, a deep sigh escaping her lips. "I fucked up real bad."

He looked at her, waiting for her to continue, wanting to prompt her and ask her what she meant, but knowing that she would tell him in her own time. He dropped his legs down from his chest and moved to cross them instead, leaning an elbow on his outstretched knee.

"Everything was going fine, I'd never performed so well in my life. I don't know if I was getting cocky or..." She trailed off. "I did all the tests which were asked of me, passed them all with flying colours, but when the Director came in, he just gave me this look. He saw me like he knew me, he did know me, he got so worked up. Started screaming about who I was and how anyone could let someone like me on his ship. His words sunk in and by the time I realised the next test had started I was knocked for six, got a late start and when it came to crunch time, I faltered."

"Someone like you?" The soldier asked.

"I don't know what he meant. I've never met him either, I don't know how he knew me. It's unlikely he knew me from my previous job either because I was just a UNICOM private. There was nothing to stick out about me, well except for the general discharge that happened halfway through my mandatory 4 years of service. But even then that's not even that usual. I don't know why he objected strongly, but I let myself get so distracted that I flopped out on the last test and they rejected my application for service."

"What exactly were you applying for?" He asked, listing intently to everything she said.

"A position in Project Freelancer." She responded, knees sliding down to the floor, legs outstretched in front of her. "I had to leave my service with UNICOM and this was kind of my last hope at this. There's three month's left on the lease at my apartment and without my dad, it can't be renewed. This whole thing was supposed to bring my closer to him now he's gone, not push me farther away. I've been training like hell for this, I wanted to be apart of this, change things for the better, like he always tried to do."

"What happened to your dad?" He asked looking at her sympathetically.

"I don't know. He died, I know that much. He went out with some mercenaries one night, helping them out with a job -they were old army buddies of his, or at least one of them was- and he never came back. There was no explanation, no condolences and no body to bury. All that happened was a small bouquet of Mexican Frangipanis got left on my doorstep with a note. ' _I'm sorry_ '. Sorry my dad never came home and you couldn't even stick around to tell it to my face? Yeah thanks, consider your apology not accepted."

"So is that why you had to leave UNICOM?" The soldier asked.

"It's why I joined." She explained. "I never knew my mom, she died shortly after I was born. We moved to this planet when I was six and he was all the family I ever knew. He was my best friend and the last thing we ever talked about was how much I hated him." She started sobbing again and the purple soldier put an arm comfortingly over her shoulder.

"I never meant it," She choked. "We'd been arguing over something stupid, I thought he was being overprotective and interfering, I was immature. I know he was only saying it because he cared but I felt like he was being so unfair. I was angry over the stupidest thing and I burst, I told him I hated him and that I never wanted to see him again. I told him not to bother coming back and went to my room to sulk. I was asleep when he left and then I never saw him again. I felt so guilty for so long, knowing that when he died, he died hurting and it was my fault."

"I'm sure he knew you didn't mean it. In the heat of the moment we all say things we don't mean, plus he's your father, you're allowed to say you hate him at least once. It's how he knows he's doing his job right. When he died, he died knowing you loved him, I can promise you that." The soldier soothed and she wanted so hard to believe him.

"I don't know what to do." She said. "I've got to get into this project. I've got to be alongside my dad, and I've got to get out there and do something good. And I can't do that from the streets, which is where I'll be if I don't get into this project."

"You'll get through this." He responded. "Plus there's another trial coming up in a few weeks, how about I help you train for it? We're on shore leave for a while and I don't have anything better to do."

"I don't even know your name." She responded quietly, looking away from him.

"North," He turned to her and smiled. "North Dakota."


	4. Potato

_"Diana?" North asked whilst pinning down Tex who was slowly losing the desire to fight._

 _"North Dakota," She returned, eying him._

 _"You two know each other?" Wash sat on the sidewalk rubbing his now, thoroughly bruised buttocks._

 _"Diana's been trying to be a freelancer., North explained, not really answering the question._

 _"Oh well that makes sense. All the freelancer girls are overly aggressive bitches," York said beside Tex who shot him the stink eye._

 _"With a performance like that I'm surprised she isn't one already," Wyoming said sore from hitting the hard concrete._

* * *

"You're doing good," North commented as she rounded on him again, swinging another hit to his jaw.

"Good won't get me a spot on the team, I have to be great," she replied, spinning and aiming a high kick to his helmet, which he caught and shoved her back with.

"Don't get worked up about it then, keep a cool, level head and focus on what you can do," he responded blocking her punch.

"I've got a lot riding on me," she breathed.

"I know, and you're going to get through it, I'll help you," he said, slowing down.

"I know," she sighed, stopping.

"Take a break, get some water and come back with a clear head," he ordered and she nodded, walking away.

* * *

 _"So being a freelancer is your way of being close to your family." North continued._

 _"Yeah, well my dad mainly. I never really new my mom. She died when I was just a baby so I never really knew her, I'd like to get to know her now though. And, I want to defend the families. So many people out there with nobody because this fucking war tore them apart."_

 _"Sounds like a pretty noble reason to me." North said putting a hand on her upper back._

* * *

"You know, if you're looking for extra bodies, I'd be more than happy to help out with your training," York offered.

"Yeah, me too," Wash jumped in, looking at the blonde girl in front of him.

"Hey, she said she wants to get in to Project Freelancer not end up like Georgia," York laughed, clapping Wash on the back.

"Why will nobody tell me what happened to Georgie?" Wash whined.

"Wait, what happened to Georgia?" Diana asked, looking between the two men.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know," York replied, shaking his head.

"I really do though," Wash responded, crossing his arms.

Diana laughed and shook her head, walking ahead with York who was catching up to North. The skinny girl followed along behind the crowd, making sure to give a wide birth to the other blonde girl she'd just gotten into an all out brawl in the street with.

"I'm not going to bite you, you know," Tex grumbled, stepping closer to the younger, skinnier, girl. Diana stepped to the side and meekly nodded, not making eye contact. "I'm not!" She yelled, looking at the little woman beside her.

"Suuure," York leaned in, laughing.

"Oh fuck off York," she shoved him away.

"So, you didn't really know your mom?" Tex fished, learning down to look at her smaller companion.

"No, not really. Sometimes I think I do, a flash of blonde hair or a laugh but it's nothing. I'm confused, it was a long time ago. Sometimes, sometimes I even remember someone else, I know my father is my father, there's no doubt in that, but I swear, I swear there was some other man. But it's a faint memory and it might not even be real," Diana explained and Tex just nodded.

"Maybe you are confused, or maybe you do remember it and it did, whatever it was, happen. You'll never know, I wouldn't stress over it," the older woman replied.

"Why are all you guys so nice? Like, I just met you," Diana asked, shaking her head.

"I guess you're just lucky," She laughed and walked away to Wyoming.

* * *

"So what's your deal with this Diana girl?" York asked, looking at his friend.

"Yeah, she looks barley on the side of legal," Wash snorted, pulling off his grey and yellow helmet.

"Shut up Wash," York shook his head. "You're like what, 19?"

"Yeah so, I'm not the one in question here," the younger soldier argued.

"She's just a friend," North responded. "I'm helping her out because she's exactly that, a friend," he shook his head. "Honestly, what kind of guy do you think I am?"

"Hey, she could be a model you know, I wouldn't be so quick to just pass her up," York replied, earning a overly hard punch to the upper arm. "Ow, hey, I was just kidding."

"Honestly, you two are something else," North shook his head, heading for the showers.

"So, if you're not interested.." York started, grabbing a towel and heading over to the showers himself. "Can I go for her?"

"I imagine if you try she'll bust out your other eye," North responded. "Plus, I thought you had that thing going with Carolina."

"Man, I don't know what's going on with Carolina," York said, turning the nobs to the shower. "I thought we were really hitting it off at Club Erra, but she doesn't seem that interested now we're at the project."

"I'm sure she's just got a lot on her mind, trust me, she likes you," North assured his friend, rubbing shampoo through his blonde locks.

"Are you saying that because you think it's true or are you saying that because you don't want me to go after that Diana girl?" York joked.

"York!" North yelled at his friend from his cubicle, throwing a block of soap over the wall at him.

"Dude, you drop your soap?" York laughed. "You know what they do to guys like you in here?"

"This is the army not prison," North shook his head.

"You say potato.."


	5. Bald Penguins

_"So, if you're not interested.." York started, grabbing a towel and heading over to the showers himself. "Can I go for her?"_

* * *

"Hey, Dee," York greeted, tussling the hair on Diana's head lightly as he walked by.

"Hey!" She smiled sweetly. "York, right?" She asked, trying to recall his name.

"Yup, that's me," he grinned back at her. "You here for North?"

"No he just left, we've finished training for the day," she explained. "Why, you need him?"

"No, no, just making sure I'm not holding you up, that's all," he brushed off, leaning against the wall she was standing by with his arm. "So, what are you doing now then?"

"Oh, uh I don't know I guess," she replied. "I've got nothing planned."

"Great!" He enthused. "We can grab a coffee and you can tell me all about how the training's been going and I'll walk you home," he offered.

"Uh, sure. That sounds fun," she bent down to grab the bag she'd had beside her and threw it over her shoulder, walking along beside the taller male.

"So I thought the project didn't hire under eighteen, and you're what..?" he paused as if trying to recall the fact he didn't know.

"Seventeen, but I'm turning eighteen at the start of July," she answered.

"Ahhh so that's how you're getting in. You apply before your birthday but the official day you join the project you'll be legally an adult," York mused.

"Exactly," Diana replied. "How old are you then anyway?" She asked, figuring if he knew her age she should know his.

"Same age as North, twenty three going on twenty four," he mused cheerily.

They walked in comfortable silence along the sidewalk for a while, York's uniform steps in line with Diana's haphazardous half skips.

"So what kind of coffee do you like, huh? The girly stuff?" He grinned at her. "You know the kind with six different syrups and a mountain of cream, foam and frappe whatever a chinos."

"No I just like black coffee," she smiled back at her new friend.

"Ahh, you're the 40-year-old-man-who's-seen-the-horrors-of-the-world kind of coffee drinker," he replied and chuckled, finding the humour in his own joke.

"Exactly," she giggled. "And I thought my disguise was working. How did you figure out I was a actually a 40 year old man?"

"The grey hair gave it away," he pointed to her hair and she screamed, reaching up at her blonde locks.

"What?!"

He chuckled as he walked her into the coffee store and ordered a black coffee and an Iced Caramel Macchiato. Newbie raised a brow and he just shrugged.

"Just because you're a 40 year old man doesn't mean I have to be," he explained while they waited for their take away coffees.

"Very true," she laughed. "Didn't realise you were asking about girly coffee because you are one."

"Hey," he put a hand to his chest in mock hurt.

"So," he started once they'd left the coffee shop and he was still making uniformed steps beside her half skips. "Tell me about yourself, got any siblings?"

"Nope," she replied, popping the 'p'. "Mom died when I was a baby and dad never remarried. It was just us until he went out on a job and never came back."

"I'm sorry," he said taking a sip of his iced coffee.

"What about you, do you have any siblings?" She asked.

"Too many I used to think sometimes, but I love them really. I have three younger brothers and four little sisters," he told her and she smiled.

"I bet that would have been nice," she sipped her black coffee.

"It was cramped if I'm being honest, Earth was overpopulated as is, it certainly didn't need my parents adding to it," he smiled. "I wouldn't trade them for the world."

"Okay my turn to ask a question," she said after another sip of the burning, midnight coloured liquid. "Favourite colour?"

"Hmm, I'd go with green," he replied thinking briefly about a certain freelancer's eyes. "Yours?"

"I like purple," she told him. "An orange, they're pretty vibrant colours. They make me think of sunsets, all the cool shit you see in space."

"Purple huh?" He asked, smiling knowingly.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Your turn."

"Favourite animal?" He asked and she bit her lip, thinking hard about the question, something that made York smile at her cuteness.

"I grew up here," she said. "I kind of think the Moas are really cool, but I always wanted a dog. Dogs are awesome, they're so loyal, and they love you completely unconditionally."

"Dogs are pretty cool," York agreed. "I like penguins. They're so dorky and cute. Especially the way they waddle around and stuff. You know when the male penguin wants to mate with a female he goes out and searches for the nicest rock he can fine and brings it back to her."

"That's so sweet," she gushed and York's face lit up when she did.

"You know what else is cool about penguins?" He asked and she shook her head. "They don't lose their feathers like other birds do, who do a few at a time and then grow new ones in. Penguins do this thing they call a catastrophic malt and just shed them all at once."

"I'm just thinking about all those bald penguins now," she giggled and York laughed with her.

"That would be a site," York laughed. "So, your turn to ask me something."

"Okay," she paused for a moment. "What are two things, you should, know how to do, but don't?"

"Two huh?" He raised a brow and she nodded. "Alright," he accepted. "First is easy, I can't cook. Not a thing. I have the diet of a first year college student when I'm not on the ship or getting takeout. What about you? Can you cook?"

"I can," she nodded. "My dad taught me when I was little. Although he was always insistent on cooking for me when he was home. Even pack lunches. He always thought I was mission out without a mom and grandma back on Earth so he always tried to do everything. He was both parents and then some."

"I'm glad he was a good dad," York said. "You're far to young to be broken."

"You still owe me a second answer? What else are you shit at?" Diana laughed.

"Hey," he pointed to her with one finger while the rest rested snuggly around his coffee cup. "You said what don't I know how to do, not what am I shit at."

"Alright then, what else don't you know how to do?" She smiled and waited expectantly.

"I also still don't know how to back up my holoboard and files to the mains, despite having been taught several time," he said and she laughed.

"Okay I don't know how to change a tire, or jumpstart a warthog," she confessed and put a hand up to cover her face.

"YOU'RE IN THE ARMY!" He threw his arms up, coffee sloshing around in the cup. "You were in UNICOM."

"I know," she blushed and laughed. "Ask your question already."

"Okay," he nodded smiling at her cute face. "Best and worst thing about being female?"

"Okay easily the worst thing is that it's assumed men can do better than I can because I'm a girl. I don't care at all if someone is better than me and that's why the were picked, I don't care if that person is a guy, but it has to be because he's actually better and not because I wasn't even considered because I'm a girl," she said and he nodded.

"Of all the freelancers I've met, both Tex and Carolina are easily better soldiers than I will ever be," he told her. "Although, neither of them can pick locks, that's my job."

"I'm sure that comes in very handy on the battlefield," Diana said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm useful," he said in mock offence. "We do a lot of infiltration work, doors need to be open for that to happen."

"Alright, alright, you're not useless," she put her hands up in surrender.

"Now the best part of being a girl?" York asked, leaning down and looking at her expectantly.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Being a girl is just hard, I don't really think about any of the easy stuff."

"Come on, there must be something," he poked her. "Like I don't know, free entry to clubs or drinks or something."

"I'm seventeen," she said and he drooped.

"Oh yeah," he replied with a sigh. "But there has to be something," he perked up. "That's your homework, next time you see me you better have an answer."

"Oh shove off you," she shoved his arm lightly. "Fine, what's your answer?"

"Best part of being a girl?" He raised a brow and she rolled her eyes.


End file.
